In a few words

The surgical airway What could be more dramatic than being unable to intubate a patient, the pulse oximetry reading plummeting, a desperate turn to the BVM resuscitator not able to do anything about arresting the slide, the hypoxic bradycardia and […]

Inserting an intravenous (IV) cannula – September 2015 I once, perhaps unfairly, said to an IC student that if he was unable to insert the IV cannula he held in his hand into the patient’s vein, we could do little […]

5. Technology & mechanical assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation – May 2015 Resuscitation of the patient in cardiac arrest is at the very core of all emergency clinical guidelines and first aid courses. There is no question that over the years there […]

15. Removing a motorcycle helmet – April 2015 Helmets are worn to protect the head in an impact. The most common will be motorcycle helmets but there may be other situations where a helmet is worn and has to be […]

10. Cooling the heat emergency – April 2015 Heat stroke is a life threatening problem. Body temperature is raised over 40°C by the environment or by exertion. Thermoregulation fails and life threatening muscle and organ failure follows. Cooling must occur […]

22. The intraosseous needle – April 2015 Administration of fluids and pharmacological agents in acute pre-hospital emergencies is a mainstay of modern practice. Most of these agents will have to work quickly but without causing problems. There are numerous routes […]

21: Pupil and eye assessment – March 2015 The assessment of pupils is a routine element of any patient physical assessment. It is commonly considered part of the conscious state assessment though it is in fact not. Changes to pupils […]

In a few words 9: The supraglottic airway – March 2015 To be able to follow the emergency mantra 101 to maintain a patent airway, a knowledge of all the adjuncts available is important. Where airway reflexes and consciousness are […]

20: Pre-oxygenation before airway procedures – March 2015 The airway is simply a pipe to allow air flow in and out between the mouth/nose and the alveoli. Airway and breathing/ventilation usually go hand in hand together. As such, any airway […]

19. Assessing urgency of trauma – March 2015 Trauma is arguably the dramatic and exciting part of pre-hospital responding. It varies from a cut finger through to gruesome fatality. At one end minimally injured patients are usually obvious as are […]

In a few words 8: The pharyngeal airway Jeff Kenneally – www.Prehemt.com Clinical guidelines for managing emergency medical and traumatic problems begin with ‘ensure patent airway’. Patent means the airway ‘pipe’ is open to allow air to move in and […]

In a few words 4: Cricoid pressure or BURP Jeff Kenneally – www.Prehemt.com Gastric content aspiration is a risk for many patients. Methods to reduce this risk are valuable with intubation arguably the most comprehensive. Cricoid pressure and laryngeal manipulation […]

In a few words 5: Tympanic temperature Jeff Kenneally – www.Prehemt.com Evaluating body temperature is a critical part of the vital signs. Body temperature is unreliable to assess through touch alone. Patients who feel hot or cold may have normal […]

In a few words 7: Cooling and dressing a burn Jeff Kenneally – www.Prehemt.com It is arguable that few injuries are worse than severe burns. There are a few rules when managing acute burns. The core mantra is to […]